The New England Patriots came away from Thursday's preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts, a 13-13 tie, with a significant injury in the trenches, as interior offensive lineman Ben Brown went down while blocking on a play in which quarterback Tommy DeVito was sacked. Brown needed help getting off the field before heading straight to the blue medical tent and then the locker room. Head coach Mike Vrabel said afterward that Brown would be out for a "few weeks," potentially a couple of months, but at least through the rest of the preseason.
On Monday, the Patriots signed his replacement, agreeing to terms with veteran guard Greg Van Roten. More news: Giants WR Malik Nabers Opens Up on Return to Full Practice: ‘Soul’s Been Dead’ The 36-year-old has been in the NFL for more than a decade, spending time with the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Las Vegas Raiders, and New York Giants, along with a brief stint in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts. He's started 105 games across his 11-year NFL career, including all 17 games in each of the past three seasons split between the Giants and Raiders.
His lone season with the Raiders, in 2023, came under then-head coach Josh McDaniels, now New England's offensive coordinator. Last season with the Giants, Van Roten posted an overall PFF grade of 65.4, ranking 35th out of 81 qualified guards, and a pass-block grade of 70.2, ranking 22nd. His 1,151 total snaps were the most of any guard in the league.
More news: Bears Dealt Nasty Blow as Kyle Monangai’s Injury Timeline Looms Over Season More news: Falcons Get Michael Penix Jr Update as Tua Tagovailoa’s Debut Raises Questions Van Roten entered free agency as one of the market's top available linemen, and now returns to McDaniels' side on a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. His experience at both guard spots gives New England valuable flexibility along the interior of the offensive line.
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